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Where To Do Your Taxes

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Where Can I Send Form T2201

How To Do Your Taxes (Tax Basics 3/3)

Once Part A and Part B are complete, you can send your T2201 form for approval. You can either submit online or by mail. If online, you can submit through Canada Revenue Agency My Account or Represent a Client, if youre a legal representative. If by mail, you can submit it to your nearest tax center.

What Do You Need To Become A Tax Preparer

Becoming a tax preparer is a straightforward process involving a few basic requirements.

These include:

  • Know-how. For most new tax preparers, learning the ins and outs of the business means acquiring an entirely new professional language. In some cases, this know-how comes in the form of certification. But finding a platform that can boost know-how and assist you with knowledge gaps is critical to success.
  • Technology. As is the case with most professions, having access to the right technology will help you work efficiently and contributes to the general success of your new business. Most tax professional software assists with both know-how and the tools to accomplish the work itself.
  • Clients. This might seem obvious, but you need to attract tax clients to succeed and become profitable. Many preparers start on a small scale doing individual returns before moving on to bigger and more complicated matters.
  • Preparer Tax Identification Number. If you want to be paid for preparing tax returns, the first step is applying for and being issued a preparer tax identification number .
  • Understand The Filing Deadlines

    The federal tax filing deadline is typically on April 15. If that day falls on a mail holiday, it may be moved to the next business day. Tax returns must be e-filed or mailed by the federal tax deadline to avoid late-filing penalties.

    In 2020, the federal government extended the filing and payment deadlines for 2019 taxes until July 2020. This was to provide some relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of now, the filing deadline for 2021 is Thursday, April 15. Whether or not such a change might be made in 2021 for the 2020 tax year is not yet known. So, keep an eye on IRS and tax news to understand when you need to file in 2021.

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    State deadlines may be different from the federal deadline, so be sure to check the filing requirements in your state.

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    Talk To The Irs And Set Up A Payment Plan

    If the amount seems impossible for you to cover, contact the IRS directly. Despite its reputation, the IRS actually works with individual taxpayers who are having difficulty paying their taxes. It offers extensions, waive fees, and sometimes even compromise in difficult situations.

    Start by calling the IRS at 18008291040. Try to avoid doing this too close to the filing deadline of April 18, as the IRS tends to get very busy around that date. Call as early as possible. Discuss your situation with them and ask what options are available.

    Nyc Free Tax Prep Service Options

    4 Ways to Do Your Own Taxes

    In-Person Tax Prep and Drop-off Service

    In-Person Tax Prep: Knowledgeable IRS certified VITA/TCE volunteer preparers will sit down with you to complete an accurate tax return. Sessions take a minimum of 30 minutes.

    Drop-off Service: You can drop off your tax documents and pick up the completed return later.

    Open map to find your nearest NYC Free Tax Prep site.

    Virtual Tax Prep

    Virtual Tax Prep is a safe and reliable online tax prep service. An IRS certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistance /Tax Counseling for the Elderly volunteer preparer will:

    • help you file your 2020 tax return during a 60-90 minute virtual call
    • use a secure digital system to manage your tax documents
    • answer your tax questions.

    The following information is for virtual appointments only. Please do not arrive in person.

    ArivaHours of Operation: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 11 a.m. 8 p.m. Tuesday, Friday: 11 a.m. 6 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. 5 p.m.Language: English and Spanish.Schedule Appointment: Email to make an appointment.Additional Information: Available for single filers with incomes up to $48,000 and for filers with dependents with incomes up to $68,000.

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    • The IRS provides tax filers with many helpful resources. Learn more at irs.gov.
    • Did you use an NYC Free Tax Prep site to file your taxes? Let us know on , , and using the hashtag #FreeTaxPrep.

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    Everything You Need To File Your Taxes

    Youre almost certainly paying taxes if you work for a regular paycheck. As a refresher, here’s how it works: Your employer withholds the taxes you owe from your earnings each pay period and sends them to the appropriate federal and state governments on your behalf. But that’s just the first step of the process. A great deal more is involved in filing your taxes correctly and in making sure you’re not paying more than you have to.

    In this guide, learn why and how you have to file a tax return, as well as other important aspects of the filing process you need to know.

    Free Virtual Tax Filing Service

    Code for America, in partnership with VITA, has created a fully virtual intake process for free tax assistance. In light of COVID-19, Code for Americas Get Your Refund service is a free and safe alternative to prepare your tax return without the risk of in-person interaction.

    Visit Get Your Refund to connect with an IRS-certified volunteer who will help you file your taxes. First, you will upload your tax documents online. Then, an IRS-certified volunteer will call you to discuss, prepare, and review your tax return for filing.

    Code for Americas Get Your Refund service is free for those who earn less than about $66,000. This is a good option if you are comfortable using technology, including sending pictures or documents electronically.

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    States That Dont Allow E

    All states that charge a state income tax allow you to e-file your state tax return. However, some states dont allow you to e-file a state-only return they require you to e-file state and federal taxes together.

    According to TaxSlayer, states that dont allow state-only filing online include:

    • Alabama

    How Filing Online Impacts Your Tax Refund

    How to Do Your Taxes EXPLAINED!

    Filing your taxes online is instantaneous, unlike mailing a paper tax return which takes time to reach the IRS.

    Submit your forms online and youll get a notification from the IRS saying that they successfully received it, or an error occurred. If the IRS owes you a tax refund, you can have this direct-deposited into your bank account, or they will mail you a check. The former is quicker and eliminates the risk of your money getting lost in the mail.

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    Consider A Free Online Tax

    When doing your own taxes, you could do it by hand and mail in your return, or you could choose to e-file. For speed, accuracy and convenience, its hard to beat e-filing. Plus if you pair e-filing with direct deposit, youll probably get your refund faster than filing paper forms by mail.

    Plenty of software providers and online services provide e-filing. Some may advertise free filing, but often theres a catch. Some allow you to file your federal return for free but then charge you for the state return. Some allow you to file for free if you take the standard deduction but charge you if you want to itemize. And some may even charge you if you have income reported on forms other than W-2s.

    There can be many caveats to free filing software, so its important to understand what fees you might end up paying.

    Remember, is entirely free. You can file both your federal and single-state tax returns without income restrictions. You can work for an organization or for yourself or both. You can itemize or take the standard deduction. With Credit Karma Tax®, these differences dont trigger a fee of any kind.

    Simplify Tax Time With Hurdlr

    Self-employed folks may feel extra layers of stress around tax time because their finances can be rather complicated, with income from multiple sources, for example. Hurdlr is a practical tool that simplifies tax preparation for the self-employed.

    With Hurdlr, self-employed folks can get real-time estimates on their quarterly taxes, plus handy filing deadline reminders. This helps ensure youre paying your quarterly estimated taxes on time and accurately, removing much of the confusion of tax season.

    Theyll automatically track your income and expenses and help you find all of your eligible tax deductions. Using Hurdlr can be illuminating for an entrepreneur because theyll automatically update your income and expenses to reflect how much youre truly bringing home. Their tax estimates show you an accurate picture of your finances.

    For self-employed people and side hustlers who do any driving required for work, Hurdlr provides automatic business mileage tracking. Hurdlr takes the pain out of tracking business mileage, as well as keeping your various driving categories separate.

    The free version of Hurdlr is ideal for a small business owner or someone with a side hustle. There are also a couple of paid versions in case you need more robust services. Their site claims the average user finds $5,600 in tax deductions through Hurdlr.

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    How To Complete The Disability Tax Credit Application Form

    To clarify, you can complete the form online or manually. The T2201 form has two main sections. Part A includes details about the individual with a disability. The individual in question completes this part. A legal representative can also complete Part A on behalf of the individual with a disability. Part B details the physical or mental disability itself. A medical practitioner completes this part. Before you submit the form, ensure Part A and Part B have no blank sections. For Part B, see which medical practitioners can complete what:

    Medical practitioner type
    Mental functions necessary for everyday life
    Speech-language pathologist Speaking

    If you incur any fees with a medical practitioner to complete Part B, they are your financial obligation. Fortunately, you can claim them as medical expenses on your tax return. Be sure to keep the receipts.

    Ways To Assess Your Property’s Value

    4 Ways to Do Your Own Taxes

    There are three common ways that appraisers determine home values.

    • Sales comparison method: This method uses recent sales of comparable properties to determine the value of your home. It works well when there are a lot of homes selling in your area. When the market is stagnant, or your neighbors don’t often sell, it can be difficult to get accurate comps to determine your home’s value.
    • Replacement method: Also known as the cost approach to real estate valuation, this method adds the value of the parcel of land to the value of the improvements on it to determine your property’s value.
    • Income method: If you own income-generating property, the income method is the proper way to assess its value. This approach combines sales comparisons to determine the rate at which similar properties are appreciating in value with the income the building generates. To calculate valuation, divide the net income by the capitalization rate.

    For the most part, however, you don’t have a say in how your property value is assessed for tax purposes. Your home’s assessed value is determined by your local tax assessor. Because tax assessors are responsible for determining the value of hundreds or thousands of properties each year, they aren’t able to do the kind of in-depth analysis that an appraiser will when you sell or refinance.

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    Free File Is Now Closed

    Check back January 2022 to prepare and file your Federal taxes for free.

    IRS Free File lets you prepare and file your federal income tax online for free. File at an IRS partner site with the IRS Free File Program or use Free File Fillable Forms. It’s safe, easy and no cost to you for a federal return.

    To receive a free federal tax return, you must select an IRS Free File provider from the Browse All Offers page or your Online Lookup Tool results. Once you click your desired IRS Free File provider, you will leave the IRS.gov website and land on the IRS Free File providers website. Then, you must create an account at the IRS Free File providers website accessed via Irs.gov to prepare and file your return. Please note that an account created at the same providers commercial tax preparation website does NOT work with IRS Free File: you MUST access the providers Free File site as instructed above.

    Get Professional Help When Needed

    If you prefer not to file your taxes yourself, then hire a professional. Make sure you find someone you like and trust and who understands your industry. You can start by asking friends and family for recommendations. Once you find someone you like, make an appointment and gather up all your documents and email them ASAP. That way, you wont be scrambling at the last minute to find that one last charitable donation receipt.

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    How To File Your Taxes In 5 Simple Steps

    7 Minute Read | November 10, 2021

    Does the thought of tax season make you break out in hives? Fear no more! Our easy, step-by-step guide will help you prepare your taxes without even breaking a sweat!

    Most people dread this time of year because of all the paperwork involved with taxes. Thankfully, it doesnt have to be that way! Preparing your taxes can actually be a simple, no-stress process if you do a little work on the front end. All it takes is some organization and time.

    What You Need To Provide To Your Tax Preparer

    How to Do Your Taxes Right

    Its almost time. Time to get everything together to get your taxes done.

    If I was doing your taxes, what would I need to see? Depending upon your personal situation you may have a couple of documents for your tax return or you could have dozens. Whether you are doing your taxes yourself, handing them off to a tax preparer or accountant, or taking advantage of TurboTax Live Full Service, getting ready to have your taxes done is made easy with just a little preparation.

    This is a checklist list of the most common things you need to do and should do when getting ready to have your taxes done. If youre the family tax preparer, you should do the same for each one of your family members.

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    Determine Your Filing Status

    It is imperative that you choose your filing status before you can prepare your tax return.

    If you dont understand your filing status, the IRS can help you figure it out by asking you a few questions.

    Here are five common filing statuses that could apply to you:

    • Single
    • Property taxes
    • A copy of your last years return, if applicable
    • Other applicable forms like Form 1099 if you receive some kinds of income, such as a taxable interest of at least $10

    You should keep all of your documentation safe and conveniently accessible. You might need them when you prepare taxes for future years or for other reasons like applying for a loan.

    Military Installation Tax Centers

    Many large military installations worldwide offer service members and their families free income tax filing assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program which is sponsored by the IRS. VITA sites have volunteers that are trained by the IRS to provide assistance with some of the more complicated military-specific tax issues, such as combat zone tax exclusions.

    Visit Military.com’s Base Guide to contact your local installation for more information about location of tax centers, hours of operation, scheduling appointments, and necessary documentation.

    The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is also teaming with H& R Block to offer tax preparation services to military members and their families at a 10% discount in select Exchange locations around the world. for the list of participating Exchanges.

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    What Is A Tax Preparation Service

    Tax preparation services are full-service offerings to complete your annual tax filing forms for the IRS and, if needed, state tax agencies. Unlike online and desktop tax preparation software where you do your own taxes, a tax preparation service will review your tax forms and complete your taxes for you.

    Some tax preparation services are available through local offices in-person. Others give you access to a preparer or team of preparers online through a mobile app or website.

    Do You Need A License To Prepare Tax Returns

    Should you do your taxes yourself or hire a tax preparer?

    While the starting point for any preparer will be the PTIN process, a license is not the same thing. To become a preparer, you dont need a specific license. With the IRS, however, if you want representation rights, you need to be an enrolled agent, CPA, or attorney.

    However, seven states require a license if you want to prepare in those geographical areas. And while many states call it a license its very similar to the federal PTIN both in design and in process.

    The current states that require a separate credential include:

    Many states exempt this requirement if you are a CPA or have other professional credentials.

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    How Do I File My Taxes Online

    Filing your taxes with TurboTax Free is quick and easy. First youll be asked to set up a profile and follow a simple process to find all the credits and deductions youre entitled to. With the CRAs Auto-fill my return, you can also import your tax info directly from the CRA. This service pulls info from your income slips , government benefit slips, RRSP receipts, and unused tuition credits. All the relevant info will be populated from these forms into your tax return saving you time and effort.

    If you decide not to use CRAs Auto-fill my return service, or if you have additional info to enter that isnt captured through the import, you can find all the forms you need quickly and easily through TurboTaxs search feature.

    You can also easily look for all the credits and deductions that apply to you using the search bar in TurboTax Free. If youre not sure where to start, heres a list of common credits, deductions, and expenses you may be eligible for:

    Once youve entered all your info for the year and youre ready to file, our software will guide you through the steps to NETFILE your return online or print and mail your return. Well also give you step-by-step instructions on how to pay the CRA if you owe taxes.

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